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It might be hard for some to believe, but 30 years have passed since veteran hard rock band Judas Priest released its landmark album Turbo. In celebration of the anniversary, Columbia Records and Legacy Records partnered to re-issue the album last month with some added bonuses. Those bonuses—a pair of live recordings–will be discussed later, as they are key pieces of the re-issue’s overall presentation. The original record is the key piece that should be noted in examining this latest re-issue of the classic album and will be discussed shortly. The set’s companion booklet is just as important to the package’s overall presentation as the album and the package’s bonus live discs, and will be discussed later, too. Each element obviously plays its own important part to the album’s presentation. All things considered, Columbia/Legacy’s recent re-issue of Turbo proves in the end to be one of this year’s top new CD re-issues.

Columbia/Legacy’s recent 30th Anniversary re-issue of Judas Priest’s landmark album Turbo is one of 2017’s top new CD re-issues. That is due in part to the presentation of the original album in this re-issue. The work put in to re-master the album’s original masters paid off soundly (bad pun fully intended here). The guitars, drums and vocals are just as clear and crisp here as in the album’s original release, if not more so. The album’s sequencing is also the same as in its original release, adding even more to its enjoyment. The improved audio quality of each track and the mirroring of the original album’s sequencing does plenty to entertain listeners in the album’s re-issue. It is, collectively, just one part of what makes this re-issue so impressive. Its companion booklet is just as important to note in examining its presentation as the album.

Turbo’s updated sound quality and the mirroring of its original sequencing here does plenty to impress listeners with this re-issue. It is just one of the elements that makes this re-issue stand out. The set’s companion booklet does its own share to enhance the listening experience. That is because of the material presented within the booklet. The booklet opens with a brief but concise history lesson on the album’s creation, explaining that Judas Priest was not the only band that was changing its sound at the time that this record was being crafted. The lesson notes, “heavy metal was kicking into various new gears as we began writing sessions for Turbo as it opens. From there, it points out the extensive process that followed the original writing, taking the band across two continents. It even offers an explanation of one of the album’s songs—‘Parental Guidance’—noting that the song tackled the issue of censorship in America at the time. Between that explanation and the history presented inside the record’s booklet, it all offers plenty for fans and listeners to appreciate. That is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, too. The booklet also includes lyrics for each of the album’s nine songs. On the surface this doesn’t seem very important. But considering how hit and miss albums have always been in terms of including lyrics, having those lyrics here is another positive. They serve as a starting point on renewed discussions on the songs’ topics. In the same breath, having the lyrics printed out also means no chance of misinterpreting the lyrics. To that end, having the albums lyrics included in its new re-issue is just as important to its presentation as the short but concise history lesson that opens the booklet. When both elements are coupled, they show clearly why the album’s booklet is just as important to the record’s presentation in its re-issue as the album itself. It is still not the last of the re-issue’s most important elements. The live recordings included with the record are just as important to the re-issue’s presentation as its booklet and original album’s presentation.

The presentation of Turbo’s original album and its companion booklet are both key pieces of the album’s re-issue. They are only two of the record’s key elements. The live recordings included in the record’s re-issue are just as important to its presentation as the album’s presentation and its booklet. They are spread across two bonus discs and feature five of the songs included in Turbo’s sequencing. The other songs included in the recordings take listeners all the way back to the band’s 1976 sophomore record Sad Wings of Destiny. They include ‘Victim of Changes,’ ‘Hell Bent For Leather,’ ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Coming’ and so much more. The whole of those songs makes for a 20-song set list spread across two discs that is in itself a history lesson for new fans. The band’s performance also serves as a comparison point for the band’s on-stage presence then and its on-stage presence now. Needless to say the band’s stage presence in these performances shows the band at the top of its game. The only negative to the whole thing is that a DVD or Blu-ray wasn’t included. Hopefully Columbia and Legacy will eventually release the performances on one platform, the other or both so as to complete the experience. Even without a full audio/video experience, the performances, with their rich set lists and equally entertaining performances, do plenty to entertain audiences. When the insured entertainment from the live recordings is set alongside the positives of the re-issue’s companion booklet and the positives of the original album’s re-mastering, the whole of those elements makes this package in whole one that proves to be one of this year’s top new CD re-issues.

Judas Priest’s 30th anniversary re-issue of its landmark album Turbo is one of this year’s top new CD re-issues. That is due to the impressive work done to re-master the album’s masters. The companion booklet that is included with the album plays its own important part in the presentation of the record’s re-issue. The live recordings included in the set put the finishing touch on the presentation of the album’s re-issue. Each element is clearly important in its own right, as has already been discussed. All things considered, they make Turbo’s 30th anniversary re-issue one of 2017’s top new CD re-issues. It is available now in stores and online. More information on this re-issue is available online now along with all of Judas Priest’s news and more at: